


Grunt's Mistake

by omnisan



Series: What Happens on the Normandy, Stays on the Normandy [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Humor, ME2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5092130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omnisan/pseuds/omnisan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time was running out and he had to make a choice</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grunt's Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Partially identical to the storyline

"I'm going to open the tank."

"Shepard, no. We don't know what will happen." 

"We won't know just sitting around, either." 

"But Shepard—"

"But nothing, Miranda. My ship, my rules. I'm opening the tank. If anything bad happens, he can't escape. This ship is full of people with guns."

Miranda looked as if she wanted to protest, but Shepard made her point. She was clearly unhappy about the choice, but couldn't do or say anything to sway Shepard. With a heavy sigh, she left first, followed by Jacob. 

Shepard gathered herself, preparing for whatever was going to happen after she opened the tank. EDI wasn't of much help, so Shepard pushed the button and watched the liquid drain around the Krogan. 

He fell out of the tank and gathered his own self before lunging at Shepard, pinning her against the wall. The pain wasn't the worst she had ever felt, especially from a Krogan. Without showing any fear, she stared into his eyes all while drawing her pistol. If things did go wrong, she wouldn't go down without a fight. 

"I need a name." The Krogan demanded. 

"I'm commander Shepard—"

"Not your name. Mine." 

The Krogan spoke his thoughts out loud as he fumbled with a name. Grunt. He spoke of Okeer and fighting, killing Shepard. 

"Is that was you want? To kill me?" Shepard asked straightforwardly. 

"I feel nothing, want nothing. Okeer's imprint failed. Any fight is as good as another, so I might as well start with you."

His hot breath clung to Shepard's face, though she didn't cower at his words.

"I want to offer you a chance to join my crew. Stand down." 

Grunt stared at her, wheels turning in his head. 

"Asking shows weakness. Your words are worthless to me."

"I've fought far worse than a few Krogans across the galaxy. I'm not afraid to take you down too."

"That's…acceptable. I'll fight for you."

"I'm glad you saw reason."

The Krogan glanced down as he stepped away, finally noticing Shepard's drawn weapon.

Grunt did his best to smirk and commented, "Wise, Shepard." 

///

Grunt knew the humans had a higher tendency to fear him more than the others on the ship. It made it hard being anything more than acquaintances with anyone, though Shepard told them he was part of the crew, and no crew of hers should act so cowardly since they knew what they were in for. 

Grunt took a liking to Jack since she tested him, though she tested everyone else too. Shepard dealt with both of them and looked past their attitudes to find something good in them. 

Jack walked over to the table and sat down across from Grunt with a plate of food and a look of disgust on her face. 

"This food sucks. Makes me shit too much. Hey, Gardner, what the hell do you put in this shit you call food?" 

Jack always found something to be angry at, Grunt noticed. After only a few bites, Jack got up and walked away, only to come back minutes later. 

"Where'd you go?" 

"I just shit. This food just goes right through me."

Shepard walked by them to grab a cup of coffee before starting her rounds, and Jack waved her over.

"Two problems." Jack started, not caring about the sauce on her face, "First, were out of toilet paper. Again. Might want to stock up on air freshener too. Don't go in the bathroom." Shepard made a slightly disgusted face, but let Jack continue. "Two, this food is shit."

"Unless you want to do the grocery shopping, don't complain. I'll go tell Joker to stop somewhere and I'll get some stuff." 

Shepard walked away with a sigh and Jack played with her food. 

"You want this?" She asked, clearly not interested in eating anymore.

Grunt shoved his empty plate aside and scarfed down what was left on Jack's plate. She watched with disgust, wondering how he could eat that. 

"Have fun when that comes out." Jack laughed as she got up and walked away. 

Grunt didn't see the problem. Maybe the food was terrible, but it was food and he was always hungry, it seemed. As soon as he stood up, something in his gut wasn't agreeing with him.

"Don't eat human food." Shepard's voice echoed in his head.

"Damn." He said to himself as he walked to the elevator, one hand pressed to his stomach. 

The voice in his head told him he wouldn't make it back to port cargo. He had to go now. Grunt looked in all directions before slipping into the men's restroom.

"Huh." 

///

"Hey, commander. Rough day already?" Joker pointed to the coffee cup in her hands.

Shepard rolled her eyes. Joker didn't understand the half of it. 

"We're gonna need to make a stop somewhere. Jack's complaining about the food again and she used all the toilet paper. Again." 

"Damn." 

"I don't know what to do. No one else complains as much as she does, yet—"

Shepard's omni-tool beeped with an incoming call and she groaned. 

"Shepard." Grunt said. 

"Grunt." Shepard replied. 

"I, uh... there's a problem." 

"What did you do now, Grunt? Weren't you just in the mess?" 

"I was but, uh, something came up." 

"Where are you now?"

"About that…"

"Grunt." Shepard was getting irritated and Joker snickered at her side. 

"I'm in the men's restroom. You better come quick." 

The line went dead and Shepard was trying to comprehend what she just heard. 

"Duty calls." Joker laughed, and Shepard went pale. 

"Please, no." Shepard ran to the elevator.

Thankfully no one was waiting for the restroom when she got there.

"Grunt, open the door." 

"Shepard, you're not going to like it." 

"Open the door. That's an order." 

Shepard wished the sight before her eyes was just a dream. She wanted to close the doors and open them again and find nothing wrong. That wasn't going to happen though. Before her, Grunt stood holding the toilet, clearly broken completely off the wall and water pooling on the floor at his feet.

"Grunt, I don't even want to ask what happened. Put the toilet down and just go." Shepard pointed for him to leave.

"Are you—"

"Grunt. Go."

He did as she asked and left her running her hands through her hair at the mess he left behind. 

Shepard called Gardner over to deal with it. The look of surprise and confusion on his face made her reply with, "Don't ask." 

"Joker. I'm going to need you to get to our destination ASAP." 

"Yes ma'am." 

///

Shepard took the elevator down, rubbing her temples. She didn't want to know, but needed to know what happened, not that she couldn't take a guess from what she saw. As she opened the port cargo door, the sound that rang through her ears was something she hasn't heard before, yet knew exactly who it belonged to. 

Jack was sitting on a box, laughing, genuinely laughing. Her hands grabbed her stomach and tears came out of her eyes, and Shepard couldn't help but to crack a smile too, even if she didn't know what was so funny. 

"Oh god, Shepard. You have to hear this one." She laughed out. 

"I'm dying to know." 

Grunt looked uncomfortable and in no position to speak. Shepard leaned against the wall, waiting for someone to say something. Jack collected herself as best as she could, wiping away the tears and now smudged makeup.

"So we were eating when you went by earlier, right? Well since the food is shit, I let him eat the rest of mine, see how it feels."

"Jack, that's dangerous." 

"The food just comes out after going in anyways. No big deal. Anyways, after I left, he tells me he had to take a shit but couldn't make it back down here in time." 

Shepard looked over at Grunt who looked away from her gaze. 

Jack continued, "He went in the men's bathroom 'cause it was the closest, and after he goes, he break the toilet." 

Jack burst out into laughter again and Shepard let a smile crawl to her face. Grunt looked slightly embarrassed but shrugged. 

"What was I supposed to do?" He asked. 

"It's totally fine. Everyone makes mistakes and it can be fixed. You just have to live with her laughter in your head for the rest of your life now." Shepard gestured toward Jack.

"This will make for a good story to tell everyone." Jack said, finally semi calm again.

"Jack." Shepard warned. 

"What? I won't send it out now." 

Shepard rolled her eyes and waved a goodbye. She was really going to need a good night's sleep after the day's events.


End file.
